Hunted
by Quiet Wyatt
Summary: Ezra, Sabine, and Hera are hunted in the bowels of Nar Shaddaa by both common thugs, deadly creatures, and a bounty hunter to boot. Unable to escape up levels, the only way to lose their pursuers is to venture down into the dark undercity of the Smuggler's Moon. Trying to set the mood. Slow start, but it'll get better. Stay with me, guys!
1. Mornings on the Ghost

"We have a new mission."

Hera Syndulla's voice rang out clear and strong, slightly elevated to be heard over the steady hum of the _Ghost's_ Hoersch-Kessel ion drive sublight engines. The Twi'lek stood on a walkway overlooking the cargo bay where the rest of her small crew went about their morning duties.

Of course, there were no mornings or evenings in space, but the original crew of the _Ghost_ had decided early on that they needed a regular schedule so that operations ran as smoothly as possible. As the crew came from three different planet with three different rotational cycles, it was decided that "days" on the ship would follow the Galactic Standard model. Everything seemed to run smoothly until a young female Mandalorian named Sabine Wren joined the crew

During her early years on Mandalore, Sabine had lived .with her entire life structured around the planet's 19 standard hour rotation. While this was normal to Sabine, only later, when the Empire had seized Mandalore, had she had learned that days on her planet were considered "short" compared to the Galactic Standard model.

"The Galactic Standard Calendar," the first year instructor at the Imperial Academy had lectured "is based on the size and rotation of the planet Coruscant. A Standard day is 24 hours while a Standard week consists of 5 days."

At the Imperial Academy, everything strictly revolved around the 19 standard hour rotation of Mandalore: Sabine was told when to wake in the morning, when to go to sleep in the evening, when to arrive (promptly) for her classes, and even when (and how many times) she was allowed to use the bathroom during the day.

Hera's announcement that a full day/night cycle on board the _Ghost_ would last 24 hours was at first met with resistance by the young Mandalorian, who was so used to retiring to her room at a very specific time and now found herself expected to be awake and working during times she was not accustomed to.

After months aboard the _Ghost_ , the teenager became somewhat used to the schedule and had fallen into a routine that had her falling asleep only an hour before the others. It was much to her annoyance, however, when she had discovered that, despite her falling asleep before the others, she was almost always the last person to wake, finding the other members of the crew eating and socializing around the modest table in the lounge.

Not that Sabine had much of an appetite in the morning. While the Mandalorian joined the crew around the table, she spent the time doodling in one of the many sketchbooks she seemed to keep on her person at all times. Once, she had caught Garazeb Orrelios leafing through the book, the big Lasat's brow furrowed as he studied the diagrams of armor and hairstyles Sabine had thought up. After angrily snatching the sketchbook from his hand, ripping a few pages in the process, Sabine had stormed out, leaving Zeb at the mercy of an unsympathetic Hera.

Later, when Sabine returned to her room, she found a box containing several tools she had listed in her book as requirements for any armor modifications. The box also included a note in passable Basic reading ' _Sorry'_. The next morning, Sabine entered the lounge, nodded in response to a pleasant "Good morning!" from Hera, and settled onto the bench next to Zeb. The two became fast friends.

And so when Sabine gave Zeb a hard elbow to get his attention and nodded towards Hera, the Lasat only gave her the lightest of retaliation taps before turning his attention to the Twi'lek.

The remaining crew members present in the cargo hold, Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger, lowered their lightsabers and deactivated the weapons as one. The droid C1-10P, known affectionately as Chopper, and who had spent the last hour firing low power energy bolts only to have them redirected back towards him by an overly enthusiastic Ezra, took the opportunity to pick up a discarded piece of scrap and sling it towards the blue-haired youth only to watch Kanan snatch it out of midair. Giving Chopper a stern glare and a brief shake of his head, he returned his attention back to his Twi'lek lover.

Hera shot a glance at each of them in turn before clearing her throat, he lekku swaying back and forth to indicate her impatience.

"Ahsoka wanted to brief us in person, but she's needed elsewhere. She contacted me a few minutes ago and filled me in on the situation. Looks like we're running a solo op today, kids."

* * *

A hologram of a pretty young woman hovered over the projector, filling the room with a flickering blue light which washed over the walls like a pale ocean, giving the familiar corridors of the _Ghost_ an eerie feel. Sabine shivered, her mind drifting; she unconsciously scooted closer to Zeb, although the Lasat failed to notice.

Hera stood opposite her crew, the projector between them.

"This is Bria Tharen. She is an agent involved in underground intelligence work. Normally even Ahsoka doesn't know where she is. She sends information to the fleet via a contact. She was due to arrive on Corellia to infiltrate the garrison there, but she never arrived."

Hera reached down and pressed a button on the holoprojector's panel; the device beeped and a map of the galaxy replaced the portrait of the redheaded woman. Ezra let out a low whistle; he had only seen a hand full of maps in his 16 years and was always impressed by the sheer scope of the galaxy he was a small part of.

Hera allowed herself a small grin at the boy's curiosity before entering in a series of coordinates. The map zoomed in on a smaller sector of space, labeling several planets; none of which Ezra recognized. Hera indicated one of the planets.

"Tharen left a planet called Ylesia with a course intended to have her arriving at Druckenwell -"

"You know the BlasTech factory there is the one probably supplying the garrison on Lothal." Sabine muttered to Zeb, who nodded darkly.

Hera sighed.

"Yes, Sabine. The factory on Druckenwell is probably the one supplying the Imperial garrisons on quite a few Outer Rim worlds. Unfortunately, today's mission does not involve us raiding, or destroying, a heavily guarded weapons factory."

Hera exchanged a look with Kanan. She eyed her Lasat crew mate.

"Is that clear, Zeb?"

"Seems like the Alliance never lets us blow anything up anymore." Zeb growled in disappointment, his eyes on Hera. Hera glared right back before returning to the holoprojector.

"The idea was for Tharen to dump her ship , hitch a ride to Druckenwell, and board a transport bound for Corellia. Druckenwell is on the Corellian Run hyperspace route; one more passenger on a crowded transport ship on a crowded hyperspace trade route. Nothing to look twice at."

Hera cleared her throat.

"Tharen was supposed to meet an Alliance contact on Nar Shaddaa but there's been no sign of her. Ahsoka has tasked with finding out why.

The holoprojector behind Hera changed its display to show the moon; from what Ezra could make out from the low quality holo, it appeared that this moon was one large city. The young rebel could make out the lights of millions of buildings all over the city.

Zeb had his arms folded, his face set in a scowl. His eyes were locked on the image of the slowly rotating moon. He spoke out of the corner of his mouth, his tone sarcastic.

"So instead of sending us to sabotage or steal anything like we've been doing all this time, we're getting send on a blasted rescue mission?"

Hera nodded, her attention focused on the Jedi sitting next to Zeb. Sabine grinned; she punched Zeb lightly on the shoulder.

"Calm down, big guy. Compared to what we've been through, it'll be over before any of the good factories are destroyed."

Ignoring her, Zeb stood up, his arms open. He locked eyes with Kanan.

"Are you hearing this, Kanan? Don't tell me you're on board with taking the kids," He indicated Sabine and Ezra. "...well...there?"

Both Ezra and Sabine protested at the same time, their voices creating a harmony that mixed with the background drone of the holoprojector.

"Hey I'm not some -"

"If that Lothrat is -"

"Enough!"

Hera's shout made both of the teenagers stop mid-sentence. They turned to face the pretty Twi'lek pilot. Hera had her eyes closed, her hand gripping her forehead in concentration. Sabine noted the tightening of her lekku and sank into her seat with Ezra close behind. She spoke deliberately, meeting the gaze of every crewmember seated around the holoprojector.

"It's our job to find Tharen and get her to that contact. And we do it together."

Zeb, however, was not finished. "Hera, you know I respect your judgement," The Lasat paused, picking his words carefully "But Nar Shaddaa is not a place I think we should take Sabine and Ezra." Zeb held up a hand as Sabine gave an angry scoffing sound. "Just...hear me out. I know they've fought the Empire with us for going on a year now. And they've done a damn good job. But there are so many worse people in the galaxy. And Nar Shaddaa is full of them."

Without another word, Sabine jumped to her feet and stomped out of the room, a very angry and all too familiar look in her eye. Zeb threw his hands up. "Great, and now she's angry."

"Gee, and I wonder why, Zeb? You just called her a kid -"

"Well isn't she -"

"You know she doesn't like being looked down on!"

"I'm trying to protect her! And Ezra, for that matter!"

"And I'm sure Ezra really appreciates being called a kid as well." Hera said with sarcastic finality. The Twi'lek glanced around the room, confirmed that Ezra had left, and rounded on Zeb again. "And now you've made Ezra mad. Just...stay here and talk to Kanan or something. I'm going to prepare our jump." With that she turned on her heel and marched away, disappearing up a ladder. Zeb turned towards the Jedi, who had silently watched the conversation with a smirk on his face.

A/N Hey guys. So it's actually been a few years since I've done this whole fan fic thing. So I would really appreciate it if you would leave a comment (it doesn't have to be long) telling me what I'm doing wrong or right. I really want to improve my writing and I love the feedback. Thanks!


	2. Nar Shaddaa

Sabine walked down the corridor with Ezra tight on her heels; the Mandalorian was fuming at the idea that the rest of her crew might still think of her as a kid. Ezra? Sure, she could see that. But hadn't she almost graduated from the Imperial Academy? Hadn't she proven herself in op after op? And to think...oh the nerve of that Lasat!

Behind her, Ezra was struggling to keep up; he was not in the least bit bothered by Zeb's exchange with Hera, despite the fact that the Lasat had seem less than fond of this Nar Shaddaa place. He was more excited than worried; he had never left his small sector of the Outer Rim and was anxious to see more of the galaxy. Truth be told, he hadn't even minded being called a kid by Zeb. In fact, he had planned on staying to ask the Lasat about this Nar Shaddaa place but after Sabine had stormed out, his concern for her had outweighed his curiosity.

Ezra was so lost in his own head that he nearly collided with Sabine, who had stopped in the corridor. He looked up and realized they had arrived at her room. Despite having lived on the _Ghost_ for almost a year, Ezra had spent a very brief percentage of that time in Sabine's room, something he hoped to change.

There was a hiss as the door to Sabine's door slid open. The attractive girl marched over to her bunk and threw herself on top of the neatly made blanket. Ezra hesitated for a split second before slowly entering the room; even though he had been here, albeit briefly, he was still struck at the vibrant decorations.

There were several spray-painted murals adjourning the walls: The _Ghost_ blasting a TIE fighter out of the sky, an Imperial walker tripping over a rock, and a lightsaber wielding Ezra being stunned by Chopper. A large banner displayed what Kanan had explained was the Mandalorian symbol: an elongated skull with two downturned horns jutting out from beneath the slanted eye sockets and curving inward.

"Behold the mighty mythosaur."

The Mandalorian girl gave the banner a thoughtful look before lacing her fingers behind her head and sinking back onto the light purple comforter. Ezra crossed to the bed and, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, sat down in the end of the bed. Sabine gave no indication that she noticed or cared; she blew at a lock of lavender dyed hair that had cascaded down her pretty face and over one of her eyes before continuing in the same sarcastic tone.

"It's supposed to represent the fighting spirit of my people. Just like the Mandalorians, right? Hunt a species to extinction and then decide to take that dead species and use it as a sort of...intimidation tactic."

The mattress shifted slightly as Sabine sat up. She drew her legs up to her chest and hugged them to her. She nestled her head on top of her legs.

"Can you believe that Lasat? Calling us kids?"

Ezra shrugged. "Maybe Zeb just...doesn't think we're ready."

Sabine snapped her fingers. "That's exactly my point, Ezra. We've been a part of this crew for a long time now, taking on the same risks as the rest and he still...ahhh!" She collapsed back onto her bed, her knees still bent. Ezra gingerly reached out and placed a hand on Sabine's knee. When the young woman didn't give any reaction, Ezra gave her knee a light squeeze.

"Kanan's always telling me to trust my feelings and it feels like Zeb is trying to protect us from something on that planet."

Sabine let out a groan. "Ugggg. Dammit, you're right, Ezra." She was silent a moment, before speaking again, her voice carrying a certain hint of witticism. "And Nar Shaddaa is a moon, idiot."

Ezra stood up; knowing full well the Mandalorian hadn't been too serious with her remark, he replied in kind.  
"Hey not all of us had the luxury of a first class Imperial education, milady.'

Sabine rolled her eyes. "You know who probably knows a whole bunch about Nar Shaddaa? Kanan. Why don't you go annoy him for a bit?"

Ezra laughed. "You know, sometimes I think I annoy him just by being in the same room with him."

Sabine giggled as the door shut behind the Padawan. She shook her head, a smile on her face, as she reached for her sketchbook.

* * *

Bossk was in a very good mood; a much better mood than he would have thought possible even 12 standard hours prior. The Trandoshan had recently purchased a Corellian YV-666 light freighter to replace the one he had previously lost to a young smuggler named Han Solo and his Wookie companion.

The freighter was stock; it came with the very basic of starship essentials such as an under-powered ion drive, a sensor array whose range was so short the pilot of the ship could make visual contact before the array detected anything, and a pitifully weak ray shield generator.

Bossk was a bounty hunter, as were the vast majority of his people; those living off the homeworld, anyway. Bossk made it a personal habit to stand out among all other Trandoshan bounty hunters. He was well regarded by the Bounty Hunter's Guild, as well as the Empire, as a hunter of great skill; someone who left very few contracts unfinished.

His ship would need an overhaul before he even entertained the idea of taking on another contract. The new ship, which Bossk had named _Hound_ , was pitifully slow and woefully under powered, both in shield strength and weaponry. Luckily he had the funds to upgrade and modify the ship to meet his rather high standard.

A number of the modifications that the Trandoshan had in mind were very much illegal by Imperial law, meaning he would have to go somewhere that operated outside of that law. And, it wouldn't hurt if he went somewhere that also happened to include several Corellian vendors and mechanics, seeing as his ship was Corellian in design.

Bossk ascended the boarding ramp and made his way to the bridge of his new ship. The pilot's chair was obviously designed for humans or beings of similar proportions. Given this, Bossk has some difficulty squeezing into the chair and even more trouble fitting his large, three clawed hands around the control stick.

Awkwardly, the _Hound_ rose from its berth; the engines pulsed blue and the ship jumped forward, the momentum slamming Bossk back into the ill-fitting chair. His lipless mouth formed a rudimentary grin; he had not been expecting the engines to have any kick at all to them. Perhaps he could strike engine upgrades from his mental list of modifications.

* * *

The spiraling blue tunnel dissolved into individual bars of light as the _Ghost_ decanted from hyperspace, the stars shortening to once again rest as far away specks swimming against an inky black backdrop. Hera was ready; the coordinates provided by Ahsoka were locked into the navicomputer, directing the _Ghost_ towards the Corellian Sector of the endless metropolis.

A terminal gave a squawk; Hera looked up to see two Star Destroyers decant from hyperspace close enough to the _Ghost_ that Hera could actually see individual turbo-laser batteries dotting the surface of the closest warship, a 1,600 meter long Imperial-1 class. However, it was the far warship, with four semicircular structures bulging both from ventral and dorsal sides.

"Frang." Hera normally didn't swear, but she decided that the present situation warranted some rather strong language.

* * *

"And so the whole planet is covered by one big city?"

Kanan thought for a minute. "Even the poles." The Jedi raised an eyebrow. "And it's a moon, not a planet."

Ezra sheepishly ran a hand through his dark blue hair, something Kanan had noticed he did whenever embarrassed. "Yeah, Sabine mentioned that."

"She's not still sulking, is she?" Zeb's tone was brash, but Ezra could sense a hint of apprehension behind it. The Padawan shrugged.

"She's plotting something, Zeb. You'd better steer clear of her."

Zeb looked dejected for a split second before figuring out that Ezra was pulling one on him. "Very funny, you Lothrat." Ezra threw a sarcastic salute the Lasat's way.

The happy tone was interrupted by the internal communication system, which buzzed before Hera's voice filled the lounge. "Kanan, we might have a problem."

Kanan let out a sigh, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. "Can't we have just one mission where everything goes smoothly?" Not waiting for an answer to his rhetorical question, he raised his head towards the ceiling. "What's the problem, Hera?"

The answer came back in cryptic form. "Well, we won't be jumping to hyperspace anytime soon."

"Hera, did you break the hyperdrive?" Kanan asked with a playful note in his voice. Hera's reply, however, sounded like it was said through gritted teeth.

"No. Our charming Emperor, in all of his infinite wisdom, decided to send an Immobilizer. Of all the places in the known galaxy to send an Immobilizer, he sends one here."

A/N Hey guys. So it's actually been a few years since I've done this whole fan fic thing. So I would really appreciate it if you would leave a comment (it doesn't have to be long) telling me what I'm doing wrong or right. I really want to improve my writing and I love the feedback. Thanks!


	3. Corellian Sector

Bossk sat in a corner of the smokey _Smuggler's Run_ cafe, a cup of green liquor resting on the table in front of him. The scaly Trandoshan was celebrating the refit of his new ship, The _Hound's Tooth_. He had decided on the name change after equipping the freighter with some badly needed "teeth" - an advanced ion cannon and a concussion missile launcher with a capacity for six missiles – to supplement the now supercharged quad-laser cannon.

The bounty hunter lazily flicked through available bounties on a private Holonet sever operated by the Bounty Hunter's Guild. While bounty hunting was technically illegal, the Empire frequently made use of top bounty hunters and so nobody really enforced the law.

Although Bossk was in no real rush to select a bounty, as his ship was several days from being completely retrofitted, he knew that any lucrative bounty opportunity would not be available for long. And hey, if he happened to come across a local bounty, maybe he could make some credits while his ship was being overhauled.

*click* A group of pirates was raiding ships following the Hydian Way trade route near Bogden. The pirate's leader, a Weequay called Kerlos Luce, was wanted alive by the Hutts. 50,000 Imperial credits.

*click* A human information broker named Ricardo Bardak was being targeted by his former partner after cheating him out of a big deal. Wanted alive/dead. 100,000/50,000 credits.

*click* A ship called the _Proud Horizon_ out of Kessel was seeking escort ships to protect its cargo of illegal glitterstim spice. Contracts ranged from 150,000 credits up, depending on pilot performance and experience.

Bossk picked up his glass, somewhat awkwardly, and took a sip of his Tuskan Sun, relishing the taste of the liquid as it burned the back of his throat. He saved the _Proud Horizon_ contract and send it to the main terminal on the bridge of the _Hound's Tooth_. If the freighter crew was offering escort contracts starting at 150,000 credits, it meant that they were probably running the valuable spice to an Imperial world, needed the extra protection against Imperial patrols, and expected to make quite a profit. Perhaps he would contact the Empire and offer to capture the freighter and her cargo. For the right price, of course.

Speaking of Imperials, Bossk flipped over to the section of the bounty board that listed Imperial bounties. These were usually more risky, but were much better paid that private posters.

*click* An insurrectionist was reportedly hiding out on Dxun, the largest of the four moons orbiting the planet Onderon. Bounty recently increased to 500,000 credits.

*click* A group of Rebels operating out of the Lothal system has recently been spotted in the markets on Duro. The group was believed by Imperial Security Bureau agents to have officially joined a larger rebel cell seemingly hiding out in the Iskin sector in the Mid Rim. Bounty 350,000 credits.

Bossk paused, his eyes drawn to the provided picture of the group of five. Six if you counted the old astromech driod. His eyes lingered over the female Mandalorian; her armor would make a good trophy for his new ship. Mandalorian armor was becoming increasingly rare in the galaxy as of late and acquiring a custom set like hers would definitely be worth his time.

But it was the young human with the dark blue hair that held his eye; Bossk strained his memory, but couldn't place the face. But there was something about him...

* * *

"I still don't think this is a good idea."

"Which part? The moon full of criminals who would just as soon kill us as look at us? Or the looking for a missing Rebel informant when we have no idea where to start?" Kanan joked, eyeing the Lasat.

"Well, I was talking about the part where we split up, but those are perfectly good things to be concerned about."

"Whoa whoa whoa split up?" Sabine entered the room, her helmet tucked under her arm. Her blasters bounced on her hips as she crossed over to where the rest of the crew was sitting. Ezra shot her a grin, but the teenager was all business as she took a seat next to Hera and ignored him.

Zeb cleared his throat. "Hera was just...outlining her plan. She wants to split up the crew."

* * *

Bossk shouldered the new BlasTech A280 blaster rifle, his account 1,500 credits lighter. In addition to the rifle, he had purchased an Malaxan Firepower FWG-5 flechette pistol; the lightweight pistol could fire eight pellets each containing hundreds of micro-flechettes. Bossk knew he would rarely draw this pistol as he attempted to take the majority of his bounties alive. He wanted it it simply for those situations when he needed immediate stopping power.

The Trandoshan had accepted a bounty. Somewhere in the Corellian Sector on this monstrosity of a moon was a Rodian named Sadira Ofdoffo who was about to have a very bad day. The very best part about the bounty was that he didn't even have to take the Rodian offworld; the client was another Rodian here on the moon. Bossk just had to drag Ofdoffo back to whoever he had pissed off, and he would be 75,000 credits richer.

He had decided to start his search for the bounty by visiting taverns that specialized in serving homesick Rodians. The profile had told him that Ofdoffo was a drunk and probably not too far away from his next drink.

Bossk hailed an air taxi; he gave the driver, who looked slightly uncomfortable with having a large Trandoshan with a large, lethal looking blaster rifle in his cab, his destination and settled in for the short ride.

* * *

"And...umm...keep an eye on Sabine." The crew was splitting up and Zeb had pulled Hera aside as the Twi'lek walked with him towards the _Phantom_ where an impatient Kanan waited. "I know she thinks highly of herself...and she should!" he added hastily as Hera raised an eyebrow. "But that moon is -"

Hera cut him off. "She'll be fine, Zeb. We're not going lower than level 200, we're not leaving the Corellian Sector, and she'll be with me."

* * *

Bossk disembarked from the air taxi; the trip to the _Great Hunt,_ an eatery specializing in Rodian cuisine _,_ had been a smooth one. Bossk thrust a handful of credits at the driver, undoubtedly more than the ride was worth and set off towards the cantina. He entered the dim establishment, his sensitive ears assaulted by the pulsing swill the Rodians called music. He made his way to the bar, shoving the odd unfortunate patron, and signaled the bartender.

"What doya like?" The Rodian bartender asked in slightly broken and accented Basic. Bossk reached into a pocket of his flight suit and withdrew a picture of Ofdoffo, slapping in on the counter long with some credits. The bartender pocketed the credits and picked up the picture. He studied it before offering it back to Bossk, who took it.

"No' here. Cheek _Rodese Fare_. Across way."

Bossk, pocketed the picture, nodded his thanks, and hurriedly left the bar. Thankfully, his next destination was only a short walk away; Bossk had visited this area of the Sector before and knew his way around more than he would have preferred. He made his way towards an open-air market as a light freighter thundered overhead, screaming towards one of the many landing platforms. Bossk paid it little mind as he entered the market, his large frame and blaster rifle ensuring that the crowd gave him a sizable breadth.

Bossk elbowed his way through the crowd and exited the market. He barely spared a glance towards the Corellian YCV-100 that was landing on a nearby pad. The colorful holo display of the _Rodese Fare_ tavern caught his eye as he turned a corner. While the tavern was smaller than the flashy _Great Hunt_ , his holonet search had revealed that it was much loved by it's Rodian clientele.

* * *

Ezra had never seen so many people in one place before. Sure there was capital city on Lothal and Bburru Station orbiting Duro, but the sheer density of beings gave the young human pause. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and glance over, expecting to see Hera. To his slight, but pleasant, surprise, Sabine stood beside him, her eyes wide as she took in the vista before her.

Hera walked down the ramp to stand behind the two wide-eyed teenagers. She cleared her throat; the two youngest members of her crew turned, broad grins on both of their faces. Hera smiled back.

"Alright kids, Mom needs a new sensor array for the _Ghost_. Make me proud."

* * *

Bossk was feet from the _Rodian Fare_ when it hit him: the Lothal rebels were reported to use a YCV-100 freighter to evade Imperial capture. He looked over his shoulder towards the landing pads; after a quick mental debate, Bossk turned away from the street and entered the tavern. Perhaps, if there was time after collecting the bounty, he would return to the ship and attempt to find the rebels.

He approached the bar, one hand holding Ofdoffo's picture while the other palmed his holstered flechette pistol. His plan was a simple one: shoot Ofdoffo in the leg, drag the Rodian back, and collect his bounty. He wordlessly dropped the picture on the bar. He saw the human bartender's eyes glance to the right as she studied the picture. He casually turned his head and saw a bluish Rodian, a perfect match with the picture, sitting alone at a corner booth.

Bossk sauntered up to the Rodian; Ofdoffo either didn't notice him or didn't consider him a threat. The Trandoshan drew his pistol and held it behind his back.

"Sadira Ofdoffo?"

A/N Hey guys. Please read and review. I really appreciate feedback to help get better. also, maybe I'll hold the next chapter hostage until I get 10 reviews


	4. Once Burned

**A/N First off, thank you to everyone who reviewed. I guess holding chapters hostage is the way to get what you want. You can imagine how excited I was when I woke up in the morning, turned on my computer, and saw that I had 20 new reviews. I love getting feedback. Now that I've set the stage (for the most part) I'll try to keep the action up. I'm gonna hurt some people.**

The Rodian regarded Bossk with curiosity rather than the dumb terror the Trandoshan had expected. He was even more amazed when Ofdoffo indicated that he should sit, a gesture that Bossk hesitantly obeyed. Under the table, his clawed hand rested on the flechette pistol just in case the Rodian had friends lurking in the shadows.

"You arre the boounty hunter I shent for?" The Rodian's Basic was much better than the bartender's had been, but he still spoke with a slight Rodese accent, drawing out the vowels longer than was needed. Ofdoffo gave a small hiccup and reached for his drink: it was only now that Bossk noticed the slightly glazed over look to his beady black eyes. The Rodian was drunk.

Bossk chose his words carefully; silently, he thanked the Scorekeeper for this good fortune. Now if he could play the part correctly, he might turn this encounter into an even more profitable one for himself. He spoke with deliberation. "I am. But the deal has changed. Half payment upfront."

The Rodian paused for a moment, gave Bossk a quick up and down with his stalk eyes, sighed, and reached into his jumpsuit and withdrew a thick stack of credits chips, which he placed on the table and pushed towards the Trandoshan.

"Siiixty thousaaand IIIImperial creditsh. And another sixtyyy when I am safely offworld."

Bossk pocketed the credit chips as Ofdoffo took one final swing from his bottle. The scaly bounty hunter awkwardly rose from behind the table. He reached out and locked Ofdoffo's arm in a vice grip, pulling the foul-smelling being to his feet.

"Come. I'll take you to my ship."

* * *

Sabine was in heaven; everywhere she looked, there were modified blasters, armor styles she had never seen before, and even beings she had never encountered. She could travel from the far Outer Rim to the Core Worlds just by visiting a few open air shops. Here were comlinks from Bothawui and over there were quilts from Naboo.

The Mandalorian quickly cycled from stall to stall; everything was so colorful and she wanted to see it all. Sabine was already harboring a mental list of all the things she wanted to buy. She retreated a short distance to count her credit chips; while most of their credits went towards upkeep of the _Ghost_ and its auxiliary ship _Phantom_ , each Rebel had a small fund for personal use. And Sabine had been saving hers up for awhile now; in total, she counted out an even 5,000 credits.

While she had taken note of several rather...colorful items she desperately wanted, Sabine knew that she needed to be practical with her credits. The optics in her helmet needed upgrading, and the power cell on one of her twin WESTAR-35 blaster pistols was having trouble holding its charge. Despite the number of planets being represented in the market, Mandalore did not appear to be among them. Sabine allowed herself one moment to take a deep breath before she set off on the search.

* * *

The hanger doors opened with a whoosh; Bossk pushed Ofdoffo through, the momentum propelling the Rodian several feet inside. Bossk waited until he heard Ofdoffo scream before entering the hanger behind him; three heavily armed Rodians stood with weapons leveled at Ofdoffo who stood with his suction-cup tipped hands in the air.

Bossk watched as a fourth Rodian yanked Ofdoffo's hands behind his back and secured them with magnetic binders. The bound Rodian was then kicked to the ground; his assaulter casually stepped over his struggling body and approached the Trandoshan. This short newcomer had olive skin; it glistened with sweat as the Rodian held at a hand for the bounty hunter to shake. When Bossk made no move to touch the Rodian's hand with his own, it was withdrawn.

"Thank you, bounty hunter. We've been looking for this one for some time. Your payment."

Bossk took the offered credit chips, carefully to avoid touching the Rodian's bare skin; the smell coming off the five green-skinned aliens was quickly threatening to overwhelm his nose. He acknowledged the Rodian's words with a nod of his head and turned on his heel and began to walk away, Ofdoffo's final words echoing through the hanger.

"Buut buut...I paaid youu."

Bossk didn't even turn around as he spoke. "You did. But they paid more."

* * *

Sabine slotted the power cell into her blaster; it made a small click and she watched as the icon on the side filled up, indicating a full charge. She had just replaced the power coupling; after searching, she had stumbled across a small shop specializing in Mandalorian tech. After mentally praising the open air markets of Nar Shaddaa, Sabine had explained her predicament and handed over her blaster.

The Mandalorian who ran the shop, an older man with a scar running down the left side of his face, had taken the blaster and examined it. As she watched, he quickly opened the casing and checked the components one by one before announcing the the power coupling was cracked, allowing energy from the power cell to slowly leak out and wash over the other components.

Not only was this draining her power cell prematurely, he had warned, it would also contribute to rapid deterioration of her blaster. At the man's suggestion, Sabine had handed over the necessary credits for him to replace her power coupling and to ensure that the other components were in fine working order. Finally he had handed it back to her, along with a new power cell; when the girl had tried to pay for the cell, he had waved her credits away with a smile, saying that Mandalorians looked out for their own.

Slipping the blaster into its holster, Sabine laced her fingers behind her head and allowed herself to lean back, her body sinking into the soft bench seat. The Mandalorian had just closed her eyes when she heard two all too familiar voices arguing. Knowing her moment of peace was about to be rudely interrupted, Sabine cracked open one eye. There they were, Hera with her hand on Ezra's shoulder and Ezra trying in vain to throw it off.

Sabine resignedly got to her feet, grabbing her helmet, and made her way towards the duo. She feel into step along side them as they walked towards the docking pad when the _Ghost_ sat like an overinflated bird of prey.

"Where have yo two been?"

Hera throw Sabine a quick half-hearted smile. "That is an excellent question, Sabine. Ezra, where have we been?"

The teenager shot Hera a death glare but said nothing; a quick shake from the Twi'lek helped to loosen his tongue. "Alright! I was at the cantina -"

Hera interrupted him and echoed his last words. "We were at the cantina. And what were we doing at the cantina, Ezra?"

"I was playing sabacc -"

"You were playing sabacc. In the cantina. Can you tell me, Sabine, what were two of the few things I exclusively forbade you from doing?"

Sabine grinned; she had seen Ezra get in trouble enough times to know where this was headed. "Go to the cantina. And gamble."

Hera nodded. "I said no cantina and no gambling."

Ezra looked so dejected that Sabine decided to throw him a lifeline. "How much money did you make?"

Hera gasped. "Sabine!" she scolded, as Ezra shot the Mandalorian girl a grin.

"I was up twenty -"

"And then you lost in on the next hand!"

"Only because you distracted me, Hera!"

Hera held up her hands. "Fine. You were up. Maybe you would have won. But you still disobeyed me. I specifically said don't go to the cantina for a reason. The worst people at places like these -"

"We've been on this moon for hours now. Nothing bad has happened."

The trio turned a corner and stopped in their tracks. Bossk stood before them, the large Trandoshan blocking the view of the distant docking pads. Hera spoke for the three of them.

"Ahh frang."

Before the other two could react, Bossk shot forward and grabbed a clawful of Ezra's jumpsuit. He lifted the young Padawan as easily as Ezra himself might lift a small child. To his credit, Ezra recovered quickly; thinking on his feet, Ezra put on a wide grin and spoke in a cheerful voice.

"Been a long time, Bossk. Do you have the credits you owe me?"

Bossk let out a reptilian hiss; he dealt Ezra a savage headbutt and tossed the boy into a wall. So great was the force that Ezra's body actually bounced off and landed on the ground a few feet from where he had struck. As he lay there stunned and bleeding from his nose, Bossk turned his attention to the two women and spoke, his voice low and menacing.

"Lothal rebelsss. Imperialsss pay big bounty for you. Alive...or dead."

Sabine had always been quick on the draw; unfortunately, Bossk was ready for her. The Trandoshan dashed in and grabbed Sabine cruelly by the face. Squeezing his claws tightly into her scalp, Bossk hoisted her into the air and slammed the back of Sabine's head into the wall, his claws ripping three jagged tears in her skin.

Sabine's vision filled with stars as a horrific crunching sound split the air. White hot pain erupted inside her skull as the blasters dropped from her suddenly limp hands to the floor with twin clatters. Blood began to ooze from her head, running through her hair and staining the bounty hunter's claws.

As Sabine's body hung limply from his grip, Bossk used his free hand to reach into his belt and pull free the detonator he had hung there. Turning his head, the Trandoshan locked eyes with a petrified Hera. He grinned, his fangs bared in triumph.

"Ssssssay goodbye to your sssship."

Bossk pulled the trigger, sending a radio signal to several well-placed anti-vehicle proton mines magnetically attached to the _Ghost_ 's hull. As a terrified Hera watched, a violent explosion engulfed her ship, tearing it apart and filling the world with noise and fire. Although they were still a considerable distance from the landing pad, she could feel the searing heat on her green skin.

Bossk contemporaneously threw Sabine's motionless body at her feet. Hera slowly sank to her knees; she willed herself to reach into her boot and draw her small hold out blaster, but he arms wouldn't move. She reached out with a trembling hand and absentmindedly ran her fingers through Sabine's blood soaked hair.

Bossk stood over his prey; he took his time drawing his blaster. It had just cleared the holster when Bossk was lifted off his feet by what felt like an invisible sledgehammer. What was this? Who dared to interfere?

Ezra rose to his feet, hand still outstretched; his head had felt like it would split in two as he called upon the Force, but he had accepted the pain and lashed out all the strength he could muster. Seeing the bounty hunter thrown from his position, standing blaster in hand over his friends, Ezra limped as fast as he could towards the two women. Hera had gained her feet when he reached them, and Sabine had regained consciousness but was in no condition to run anywhere. Ezra bent down and grabbed Sabine's arm and threw it over his shoulders; he dragged the protesting Mandalorian to her feet.

"Hera, help me! We need to leave!"

The Twi'lek just stared at the distance ball of flame belching toxic black fumes that had been, until recently, her ship. Her pretty face was streaked with tears. Ezra shouted again, trying to shake her out of her trance.

"Hera, I can't carry Sabine alone! We need to get out of here!"

Hera turned. "My ship...he blew up..."

"And he'll kill us if we stay!"

Galvanized into action, Hera wrapped her arm around Sabine's waist, placed the Mandalorian's arm around her own shoulders, and the three Rebels turned and stumbled away; Hera quickly stooped and grabbed Sabine's discarded helmet as they passed.

As they turned the corner and pushed their way past the crowd of beings drawn by the explosion, a furious Bossk climbed to his feet.

Please read and Review, guys. How about we aim for 40 reviews this time? Tips, suggestions, ideas for next chapter?


	5. Collapse

Bossk shouldered his way past a pair of frantic Bith running in the opposite direction, their bulbous heads illuminated with a soft red glow as firefighting drones sprayed flame suppressant foam down on the burning hulk of the _Ghost;_ the resulting hiss permeated the surrounding crowd and made it seem like the moon itself was shushing the gathered masses, many of whom were screaming or yelling.

The Trandoshan's rather overzealous destruction of the Corellian freighter had caused more damage than even he had foreseen. Bossk stole a glance at the flaming husk and quietly decided that perhaps he had planted a few too many mines on the hull. His gaze wandered over the crowd; several uniformed humans were pushing terrified pedestrians aside as they fought their way towards the line that had been hastily erected around the inferno. There were no police on the moon; the barrier had been certainly raised by some mercenary who undoubtedly served one of the Hutt crime bosses who thought he held jurisdiction in this sector and was trying to curry favor with the inhabitants by responding to this emergency.

Bossk snaked his forked tongue through the air, tasting the breeze. The three Rebels had managed to lose him in the crowd while Bossk had been clamoring to his feet following the boy's unexpected Force attack. Unfortunately for them, he had already drawn and tasted the Mandalorian's blood. Meaning he could track them just about anywhere on this moon. As long as he kept the scent, he knew he could find them. Confident in his abilities, he began the long walk (and taxi ride) back to his ship.

* * *

Ezra was walking in circles; his feet beat a steady tattoo against the polished floor; his footsteps contrasted with the background noises of the clinic: the hum of luminous monitors, the bubbling of a nearby bacta tank, and the barely audible whine of speeders passing from beyond the clinic's walls. Each step sent a dull throb of pain through his skull; a welcome relief considering he had been in agony a mere 30 standard minutes before.

On the other side of the lobby, Hera was arguing with one of the clinic medical droids. Well, as close to arguing as a droid who is programmed strictly for medical can get. The droid wanted to keep Sabine under observation; the young Mandalorian's head bleed had been corrected and her scalp bandaged and she, in her own opinion, was ready to leave.

Hera put a hand up to her forehead, her eyes closed as she took several deep breaths, pinched the bridge of her nose, and willed herself to be patient. They were only droids, after all.

"I know you want to keep her overnight, but I already told you that we don't have that kind of time!"

"Madam, I would highly suggest- "

Hera rudely interrupted the droid by putting her hand over its mouth. Without turning her head, she spoke to Ezra.

"Go get Sabine. We're leaving. We need to get back to the _Ghost_ …"

Ezra had already taken two steps towards the door leading to the examination room where he knew, thanks to her rather loud protests against any further care, Sabine was attempting to shake off another of the very pushy clinic staff droids. He paused as Hera's voice, this time in an unmistakably somber tone that could barely be heard over the drone of the clinic and the vast urban center outside, reached his ears. He glanced over his shoulder to see her withdraw her hand from over the medical droid's mouth and lower her head, her lekku slumping to complete the picture of a Twi'lek who was utterly defeated.

"…Bossk..."

* * *

Bossk did not like his father. True, his father had been good for somethings; he had, among other things, taught the young Bossk how to track a target, how to skin a pelt, how to survive using only fang and claw, and how to boost a speeder.

But the old lizard had also become increasingly critical of Bossk's own blossoming skills. He had never approved of any of his son's rather lax interpretations of the Bounty Hunters' Guild's _sacred_ _traditions_ (or creeds, as they were officially termed).

" _No Hunter shall interfere with another's hunt."_ he would say after Bossk was caught poaching small time bounties from others on their homeworld of Dosha.

" _No Hunter shall slay another Hunter."_ after Bossk killed a rival with whom he was sharing a bounty.

The direct result was the Bossk eventually developed a begrudging respect for, and began to follow, the creeds of the Bounty Hunters' Guild. The irony was that Cradossk, who brought his son to accept the Guild's way of thinking, also succeeded in driving Bossk away. Bossk joined the Guild in due course and became a fully recognized hunter in his own right, but he never contacted his father again.

The fact that Cradossk was the leader of the Bounty Hunters' Guild sometimes made it difficult to avoid him. Bossk knew that every successful Hunt was reported to his father in one way or another and took it upon himself to toe the line when it came to his father's all important creeds.

As long as his Hunting kept the Scorekeeper happy, Bossk was perfectly willing to reject everything and anything he found unsporting. Including another…rule of his father's; Bossk had made it a habit, when we could, to take two bounties at once. Something Cradossk was very vocal about not doing. The reasoning was sound enough: taking two bounties increased the chance of failing either or both. And because Guild bounty hunters were the best, that couldn't be tolerated.

So far Bossk had finished each and every bounty he had taken on while representing the Guild.

Bossk sent a message to the Imperial officer, a man named Kallus, who had originally posted the bounty for the Rebel cell. His brief communique simply stated he was interested in the bounty and inquired if the bounty included delivery or was just for information leading to the cell's capture. Considering the size of the bounty, Bossk was certain it included delivery of the Rebels; sure enough, his suspicion was confirmed when the short, hurried, and rather annoyed reply arrived from Kallus.

Bossk entered his Guild credentials and accepted the bounty. Rising somewhat awkwardly from his chair, he strapped on his weapons and descended the boarding ramp of the _Hound's Tooth_. Smoke was still visible rising from the distant landing platform where the _Ghost_ was apparently still smoldering.

Suddenly, a tremor shook the ground, threatening to upset Bossk's balance and introduce him to the ferrocrete surface of the docking platform. At the same time, a low roar became audible as a pressure wave swept over the bounty hunter, dropping Bossk to one knee and causing his ship to rock from side to side.

* * *

Ezra glanced over his shoulder, as if Bossk as preparing to jump out from behind every brightly colored market kiosk the trio passed. Ahead of him, Hera and Sabine wove their way through the crowd. Hera sidestepped and dodged around a particularly large Nikto; Sabine ran head long into the alien. He (possibly a she; Ezra couldn't tell) spoke in a language that Ezra didn't understand, although his (her) tone was obviously angry. Sabine mumbled an apology. Hera placed a comforting hand on Sabine's shoulder and directed her out of the being's way. She spoke without turning around.

"Ezra, how is it that you happen to know that bounty hunter?"

Ezra automatically looked towards his feet, like a child caught after breaking a piece of family china.

"Oh um…we crossed paths back…back on Lothal."

Ezra glanced back up; Hera was peering over her shoulder at him; one eyebrow raised in skepticism. Ezra hastily raised his hands to indicate his innocence.

"No no no no no. I only saw him that one time. And it was years before I met any of you."

Hera was about to respond when a dull _thunk_ caught her attention; Sabine's helmet had slipped out from under her arm and fallen to the ground. The young woman quickly bent down to pick it up; she took a step toward the helmet and accidently kicked it. She managed to sweep it up with both hands on her second attempt and shot Ezra a scowl as he burst out laughing.

Any insult she was thinking about leveling his way was lost in a sudden rush of noise and wind as what felt like an invisible hammer plowed into them. Ezra lost his footing and would have fallen had it not been for a sudden sense of balance and stability that no doubt came from the Force; strengthened by the billions of living beings on the moon around him. Ahead of him, Hera had managed to keep her feet and he could see Sabine stumbling forward, her helmet held tightly in both hands. As he watched, he saw her collide with a wall, drop her helmet and slide down the wall to end up in a crouch.

Ezra closed his eyes as a cloud of dust swept over the area; a crumbling sound was now filling the void left by the initial roar of air, as water rushes to fill a hole in the sand. The sounds were muffled and dull in Ezra's ears and a slight ringing had unpleasantly invited itself to the party.

Fresh screams and yells in many different languages rose to meet the crumbling sound that was even now fading away. Finally, the yells were drowned out in a host of sirens as several official looking vehicles, complete with flashing lights, came swooping through the lanes of air traffic. They disappeared from view as they passed over a cantina while heading in the direction of the market.

Hurrying over to the fallen Mandalorian, Ezra held out a hand. Sabine looked up at him; for a few moments, she mouthed silently before raising a shaking hand and allowing Ezra to pull her to her feet. He took a few steps and retrieved her helmet. As he handed it back to her, Sabine gave him a one-sided smile.

Despite the situation, Ezra couldn't help but goad her.

"I guess Zeb was right about bad things happening on this planet, right?"

Sabine shouldered past him without answering. Ezra rapidly followed; he aimed another question at her back.

"What do you think that was?"

But it was Hera who answered.

"Oh, probably another of whatever blew the _Ghost_ up. And that other sound was probably the landing platform collapsing."

Sabine choose that moment to find her voice and spoke as the three pushed through the crowd, heading for the exact marketplace where they had landed only 2 standard hours ago. It already felt like an eternity to Ezra.

"And it's a m-moon, idiot."

A/N: Hey guys. I want to apologize for taking just ever so long to upload anything. The truth of it is that I am going to nursing school which starts in one week. I know that doesn't answer why I didn't update in the past several months since my last one. For that, I have no excuse. Forgive me!


	6. Lower

Hera had never been one to wallow in self-pity; she had experienced her share of tragedies in life and had always found a way to keep moving forwards. Even being separated from her family on a CIS controlled Ryloth during the Clone Wars had not been enough. Sure, it was scary trying to dodge droid patrols and…. why she remembered when a lylek had –

Hera shook her head, her lekku flopping side to side. Now was not the time to reminisce. Her crew – her family - had been savaged and she would be damned if she let the scaly bastard anywhere near them again.

She trusted Ezra, she did, but he still had a habit of keeping things from the other members of the crew, herself included. Hera wanted to believe that Ezra's association with Bossk was truly in the past, but the boy had so casually mentioned that the bounty hunter owed him credits. Considering he had been with the Twi'lek and her group for over a year now, it either meant that Ezra had a long memory…or that he was still in contact with the Trandoshan.

 _No. No. No._ she repeated the word silently to herself. _Ezra is not in contact with that beast! He would never tell Bossk where to find us. He knows we have a bounty on our heads._

She cast a glance at the young woman beside her; her hand was on Sabine's shoulder as she directed the Mandalorian, whose feet seemed to be having their own ideas as to where to take her.

 _Plus, I don't think he would risk anything happening to her._

* * *

Bossk knew something was wrong when the air taxi he was seated in zoomed past the landing platform he had directed to pilot to fly to. Not only that, but the pilot even managed to make the small craft accelerate; he dodged and swerved past speeders and ships flying the other way, sometimes with only inches to spare.

After one such near air collision, Bossk decided enough was enough; drawing his flechette launcher, he shoved it, non-too gently, into the back of the pilot's finned head. Before he could open his mouth to utter a single threatening hiss, the alien began to speak in rapid garbled partitions of sentences, his passible Basic tinted with something that distantly reminded Bossk of one of the water worlds.

"He told me drive…paid me good money…couldn't turn it down…"

Bossk reached out with one three-clawed hand and pulled the alien's head back; the air-taxi began to lose speed as the being took his hand off the accelerator to pry at the Trandoshan's steely grip in a futile effort. Bossk leaned in close and softly hissed in the pilot's ear.

"Take me back to my dessstination. And you will tell me who is foolisssssh enough to hinder my Huuunt."

The air-taxi continued in a straight line; Bossk dug his claws into the soft flesh of the driver's occipital. The pilot began to speak. Bossk listened. When the pilot was finished, the scaly bounty hunter clenched a fist (as well as he could) and smashed a dent in the side of the taxi. The pilot refrained to comment; distracted, no doubt, by his communicator. Bossk was pleased to see that his hands were shaking as he answered it. He listened, nodded, and then offered the device to Bossk, who hesitantly took it.

"Speak."

The voice coming out of the communicator was slightly muffled and tinny ( _a cheap model_ thought Bossk irritably, hating the taxi pilot even more) but even the poor quality could not hide the identity of the speaker. It was a voice that Bossk, although not having heard it for months, was able to place instantly.

"It's been too long, Feeeeett!"

* * *

Ezra let out a whistle; the sound echoed its way down into the chasm.

"That's a long way down."

Next to him, Sabine nodded her agreement; although she didn't let on, she was not too fond of high places. An old phobia from an old life.

Looking down into the canyon of urban sprawl was enough to make her legs feel weak and her stomach turn over. She closed her eyes before the nausea overtook her; slowly, she felt her helmet slip from her numbed fingers. She let out a gasp, fearing it would fall over the edge, but it simply rolled into Ezra's leg and came to a halt.

Ezra bent down, grabbed the helmet, and held it out to Sabine, who reached out a trembling hand and took it. She nodded her thanks and pulled the helmet into her arms, where she held it tight.

Watching with curious eyes, Ezra took note of the apparent difficulty the young woman had in hanging on to her helmet. While the trio had been pushing their way through the somewhat still hysterical crowd to the railing overlooking the abyss that the _Ghost_ had disappeared into, his eyes had been drawn to Sabine's backside. Or, more accurately, her suddenly unsteady gait.

On a normal day, it would not take much for Ezra to admit that Sabine was _very_ easy on the eyes.

But today had been anything but normal.

Ezra didn't always let on, but he was observant. And perceptive. And he had no failed to notice something off about his Mandalorian crew member.

Unfortunately, it seemed Sabine had noticed something about Hera. Nudging Ezra, she nodded towards their 'mom'. Hera was gazing out over the visage with her eyes glazed over.

"Hera?" Sabine asked.

The Twi'lek turned towards the two young humans who she had begun to think of as children. In a sense. She gestured with her head before turning on her heel. Her voice drifted back to them.

"C'mon. I think I saw a turbolift back by the clinic."

Ezra grabbed Sabine's arm and pulled her as he took off in the direction Hera had vanished in. Sabine had time for a parting quip.

"Well, I guess sightseeing is over."

Ezra released Sabine's arm as the two fell into step. For a time neither spoke as they struggled to keep up with Hera's longer strides.

* * *

"Hera, slow down!" Ezra called.

Hera, however, showed no signs of slowing. If anything, she increased her pace.

"Hurry up, you two."

Ezra and Sabine exchanged a look. Hera never snapped. Well, almost never. Sabine let out a gasp of pain as a tall Gotal shoved past her.

She gave a shudder as they pasted the clinic.

And found Hera impatiently punching a button next to a public turbolift shaft. Ezra gently put his hand on her shoulder.

Hera didn't even turn to look at him.

"I saw where the wreckage landed. We can take this lift down to that level."

"Ooooookkkkkayyyy. And then what, Hera?"

Hera continued to slap the control panel.

"I just- everything will be ok if we get down there."

Ezra squeezed her shoulder. "Hera-"

She shook off his hand. The turbolift doors opened.

"I said we need to get down there! Just- follow orders for once, Ezra. Get on the lift, Sabine."

Sabine ran a hand across her forehead; it came back dripping with sweat. She closed her eyes and willed her breathing to slow. She followed her crewmates onto the lift.

An impatient Hera slapped the controls and the lift began to descend. She watched the numbers on the display flash by as the lift shot downwards. And began to pace. Sabine watched her with a worried curiosity. Ezra watched Sabine.

She held her helmet with one shaking and laid the other on the wall of the lift. He saw her shoulders rise and fall with rapid, shallow breaths. As close as he was, he could see drops falling from her face. _Odd_ , he thought. _Sabine doesn't strike me as the crying type_.

The trio rode in silence.

* * *

With a grating sound, the lift slowed and then stopped. The doors opened; Buildings rose on either side of the three like the walls of a mighty canyon. It was darker down here. Dirtier.

Hera strode off without a glance. Ezra was just opening his mouth when the very Mandalorian he was planning on speaking with swept past him.

Sabine inclined her head and slid her helmet on, albeit with some difficulty. Hera's exasperated voice came out of the gloom.

"Come on, you two!"

"No problem, boss." Ezra grumbled to himself.

There were very few other beings down here. The occasional Rodian or Bothan emerged from the shadows only to disappear into the gloom just as quickly. Even the sound of the vertical city didn't seem to penetrate the murkiness.

Sabine activated a torch on her helmet, the beam cutting through the darkness. Ezra elbowed her. And then instantly regretted it, having hit her breastplate.

"Oh that's great, Sabine. I was afraid we wouldn't be able to _see_ the trash." He said, rubbing his smarting elbow.

"Bite…me, Bridger." gasped the Mandalorian.

Despite himself, Ezra grinned. Seconds later he found himself on his face, having tripped over something unseen in the dark. Climbing to his feet, he absentmindedly bent down and reached for the object that had tripped him.

Sabine had already taken her helmet off. The torch had done little except illuminate just how much trash was strewn around them. The walls were covered with layers of graffiti and what streetlights there were on either side of the thoroughfare were broken.

Her head ached. Just taking the helmet off had been a chore. She felt fresh sweat beads form on her face. But the temperature did seem warmer down here…

Her breath came in short gasps. But she was a Mandalorian, damn it! She turned a corner and let out a sign of relief.

There was Hera standing transfixed underneath an archway which opened up into a large bazaar. The buildings, those that were left, were run down and looked like they had been abandoned for years.

The rest of the large open space was littered with debris, some of it flaming, and wreckage from the ship that, up until today, Sabine had called home.

Hera didn't acknowledge Sabine at first. Sabine took a few steps and stood beside the pilot in silence. Hera spoke after a moment. A string of Twi'leki that Sabine didn't understand.

Sabine felt something slowly run down her forehead. She raised a hand to wipe away the sweat. When she lowered her hand, she took note of what she said.

' _That's funny.'_ She chuckled to herself ' _red sweat'_

Her knees buckled; she fell to the ground. Hera was at her side in an instant.

"Sabine! Sabine, love, are you ok?"

' _Funny'_ thought Sabine. ' _Was it always this dark down here?'_

* * *

Hera was shining a light into Sabine's unfocused eyes when Ezra came running up.

"Sabine! Is she ok?"

Despite herself, Hera was good it a crisis. She continued the assessment.

"That's what I'm trying to find out, Ezra."

Ezra, in turn, had started pacing. He was still grasping what had tripped him, but suddenly it seemed like a much lower priority now.

"Ezra, I need your help here!"

Ezra knelt down next to Sabine and opposite Hera. The Twi'lek pointed towards the wreckage.

"It looks like parts of…of the ship are still intact. If I can find the medical bay, I have a few things that can help her."

As she got up, Ezra grabbed her arm. He nodded towards where he had dropped the object that had tripped him.

"Hera, I don't think we're totally alone down here."

Lying on the ground where Ezra had dropped it was a bone. Grooves and claw marks ran up and down its length. He nodded his head back in the direction he had come.

"It could be nothing. But there are more of those back there. Something's down here, Hera."

Hera shook her head. "No. No. I can't focus on two things at once down here. Keep an eye on her. This won't take long."

Hera sprinted off into the gloom. Ezra knelt down next to Sabine. The girl's forehead was dripping with sweat and her eyelids were screwed up as if in pain. An odd moan escaped her mouth.

Suddenly, Ezra felt the Force awaken; although it was faint. He took a deep breath and centered himself like Kanan had shown him. He suddenly became aware of everything that was hiding beyond his line of sight.

There was a rumble in the Force. And another. Several more. Ezra felt a shudder run down his spine as he nervously glanced one way and then the other. Another rumble. He felt them moving. Thankfully far away.

The feeling…the anxiousness left as quickly as it had come. The two of them were alone again.

His heart beating as though it wanted to set a new record, Ezra released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding…

His eyes bulged. His breath caught in his throat. Ever so slow, Ezra turned his head; All around him, darkness pressed inward, seeking to engulf him. His neck began to prick and goosebumps rose on his back.

He tried to close his eyes, tried to call upon the Force. But he was frozen. He knew something was wrong. He could imagine them coming closer and closer…

* * *

And all at once Hera was there, kneeling on Sabine's other side. She was shaking and seemed to be just as scared as Ezra. She turned to the boy, a hopeless look on her face.

"Its not there. I found my cabin. I found...his cabin. But no med bay." She was quiet for a moment. "We need to move her. Get up-levels."

Ezra nodded, his eyes still scanning back and forth over the silent bazaar. There was nothing. Nothing there. Just the feelings. Yet they both knew they had to run, had to get back to the turbolift.


End file.
